Spartans stun Bearcats in OT

ROCHESTER — Both teams came into Saturday’s game hungry for a win. With that appetite satisfied, Pembroke/Campbell coach Marc Noel wanted a sandwich afterward for the bus ride home.

The Somersworth High School/Coe-Brown hockey team probably didn’t feel much like solid food after losing a game it was in position to win late in the third period.

Unfortunately for the Bearcats, one too many defensive lapses led to a 4-3 overtime loss to Pembroke Academy/Campbell at the Rochester Ice Arena.

Even though it was only the second game of the season, the Bearcats considered it a must-win situation, given its demanding Division II schedule.

“We wanted to come out of this month with a couple wins,” said Somersworth/Coe-Brown coach Ron Siering. “We’ve got to get a W to get on track. I thought we had the potential to pull it off but we just kind of collapsed. We made some big errors and they capitalized.”

The Spartans, who like the Bearcats were looking for their first win in D-II after moving up from D-III, rallied from a late 3-2 deficit.

They scored a power-play goal with a minute remaining in regulation to pull even, then ended the game with 2:35 left in the eight-minute OT on a goal by Marcus Bessette from the slot.

The loss spoiled a productive offensive performance from foreign-exchange student Timo Jurenka, who scored all three goals for Somersworth/Coe-Brown, including an unassisted tally at 6:49 of the third period to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead.

“It was a real disappointment,” said junior co-captain Ben Bailey. “No one likes losing. We saw things we need to fix and we’re going to try and fix them.”

Pembroke/Campbell had a hat trick from Jonathan Donaghey, who scored the tying goal with the Bearcats’ Nick Pridham in the penalty box for interference.

“This was a crucial point,” said coach Siering. “We needed a W here. Now we’re sitting 0-2. It’s going to be harder for us.”

Somersworth/Coe-Brown (0-2) was coming off a 6-3 loss to D-II defending champion Bedford in its season-opener.

The Bearcats were hoping to split their first two games at home before getting into the meat of their D-II slate.

Pembroke lost its opener at Bow, 5-1.

“I just think sometimes we match up to our opponent,” said coach Siering, “and don’t play to our full potential.”

After giving up a soft goal 1:40 into the game on the Spartans’ first shot, the Bearcats pulled even at 4:37 of the first period on Jurenka’s first goal and took their first lead early in the second,

Somersworth/Coe-Brown’s first line of Jurenka and the Siering brothers, Austin and Colby, have accounted for all six of the Bearcats’ goals this season.

The Sierings each had two assists Saturday.

“Obviously remember (the loss),” Bailey said. “You don’t want it to happen again. You’ve got to put it in the past and move on.”

In addition to his three goals, Pembroke’s Donaghey also assisted on the game winner. Cade Lacroix had three assists for the Spartans and Danny Sanders added two.

“Sometimes it’s just the bounce of the puck,” said Pembroke coach Marc Noel, “and I think that’s what it was today.”